Apology

It occurs to me that an opinion expressed in my previous posting could have caused offence, and I'm minded to get the apology in before people express their discomfort.  I expressed my attitude to those protesting in Northern Ireland unsympatheticlly - even aggressively - in the words, 'After 90 years, welcome to the real UK!' 

As I indicated recently, the purpose of this blog is to provide an insight into the life of a courier driver.  That life includes periods of what would otherwise be extreme boredom, and these are relieved almost constantly by recorded or live radio broadcasts, including news bulletins.  I consider that my reaction to these is also valid content for the blog.

In my blog I admitted the complexity of Northern Ireland's history.  Although the area was not so designated at the time, I recognise that this complexity dates back to, and perhaps beyond, the early seventeenth century.  It didn't begin in the early twentieth with the desperate attempts of a majority of its citizens to defy plans for Irish home rule, and remain within the United Kingdom.  My words repeated above apparently denied the fact that they were already part of the UK when these events took place.  For this apparent dismissal of their history I apologise.

I have to admit my own nationalist sympathies, which are not based on any personal history, but largely on my shame for the way the English (later British) are reported to have treated the native Irish down the centuries.  Part of that ill-treatment consisted of a social invasion of their territory, ousting them from their ancient homes and with the invaders taking these lands for their own 'plantations.' 

I acknowledge that the present descendants of those 'invaders' cannot bear any blame for the actions of their forbears; I suppose in my imagination I feel sympathy with those who still resent this forced sharing of space in times past.  However, this attitude has no more justification than that of those who are protesting today at the removal of a particular privilege that has meant so much to them down the years, even though it brings them into line with the rest of the country.

It has been suggested that the present Unionist feelings are rooted in insecurity.  I'm afraid I cannot see why they should feel insecure.  Are they threatened by the proximity of the now-independent Republic that shares their island?  Let me call to mind what was perhaps the darkest time in the history of Belfast, 15th April, 1941, when  the city was the victim of heavy bombing by the Luftwaffe.  The following passage on this subject is quoted from Wikipedia:

"Within two hours of the request for assistance,71 firemen with 13 fire tenders from Dundalk, Drogheda, Dublin, and Dún Laoghaire were on their way to cross the Irish border to assist their Belfast colleagues. In each station volunteers were asked for, as it was beyond their normal duties. In every instance, all volunteered. Taoiseach Éamon de Valera formally protested to Berlin.  He followed up with a speech, made in Castlebar, Co. Mayo, the following Sunday.  'In the past, and probably in the present, too, a number of them did not see eye to eye with us politically, but they are our people – we are one and the same people – and their sorrows in the present instance are also our sorrows; and I want to say to them that any help we can give to them in the present time we will give to them whole-heartedly, believing that were the circumstances reversed they would also give us their help whole-heartedly.' "

I should like to endorse what I heard of Hilary Clinton's comments the other day, that violence has no place in dealing with differences over the present decision about flying a flag.  It's my prayer that peaceful progress toward a multi-cultural democratic community in Northern Ireland will soon resume, and my earnest desire that these few paragraphs of extended apology have not made a bad situation worse.